Documentation for Never a Spark, Never an Arc

I don't consider this project a failure. I learned from it, including innovative current limiting and safety circuits. And, I confirmed that, inspite of the vast amount of information on the Internet, the information needed, especially if dated, may not be present, even if search engines have entries for it. Many websites have lists of semiconductor types apparently as a fishing technique to draw folks to the site with no datasheets available. Other sites, such as the one with exploded flybacks, looked rather dangerous with projects not suitable for classroom demonstration.

While tracing the circuit boards in the monitor, I found the power supply to have multiple outputs of plus and minus 15 volts, 80 volts, and 200 volts. The 200-volt line did not go to the high voltage part of the board, so I removed that connection to the main board that I was probing. It will still be a good power supply for this or other uses.

The oscillator chip was manufactured by MuRata, but my Internet searches turned up no valid information; it is a discontinued part. Some parts had NEC proprietary part numbers, not standard nomenclatures. Very frustrating.

Just a few days before the project due date, I found what appeared to be a site claiming to have the schematic. However, they also had a note that they had to get it from their partners, which could take 3 weeks. And it did. Now, long after the fact, I have a 188-page service manual to print and study. I am glad I did not damage the circuitry; good for another time.

SAFETY is a very important part of staying alive when dealing with 27,000 volts, even though, according to my new manual, its current is limited to 700 microamps. Had I simply tried circuit bending, perhaps the current limiting would not have been in place. Furthermore, had I accidentally turned on the high voltage without expecting it, things could have gotten ugly very fast.

Having worked for a manufacturer of high-voltage power supplies and controllers for ion implanters, I greatly respect high-voltage systems and realize that there are times when I can say "I tried" eventhough I did not have a working project to show. And, more important, there were no injuries due to my presenting such a project that got out of control because I was in a hurry to just make something work.